[Senate  Bill,  No.  129.] 

SENATE,  Dee.  (>,  1864. — Read  tirsi  iiiid  necond  tinier,  and  placed 
on  the  calendar.  December  12,  1864. — Amended,  read  a  iliird  time, 
Hnd  passed.  Dccembei'  1 8,  IStM-. — Reconsidered,  amended,  en^r<>;sed, 
read  a  tliird  time,  and  passed. 

JAME8  H.  NASH,  So'vciary. 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES,  Dec.  U>.  1864.~Read  first 
and  second  times,  referred  io  the  Committee  on  Military  affairs,  and 
ordered  to  be  printed. 


A.   BILL 

To  provide  for  the  employment  of  free  negroes  and  slaves  to  work 
upon  fortifications  and  perform  other  labor  connected  with  the 
defences  of  the  country. 

1  Section  1.     Whereas,  The  efficiency  of  the  army  is  at  times 

2  greatly  diminished  by  the  withdrawal  from  the  ranks  of  soldiers 

3  to  perform  labor  and  duties  which  can  as  well  be  done  by  free 

4  negroes  and  slaves — 

1  The  Congress  of  tip  (fonfedrraU    Stairs  of  Am,  rioa  do  ^nrrct, 

1  Tliai  all  frc'i-  nudi'  nogruo,  between  the  ages  of  t;ightei'n  :md  fifty 

o  voai-s,  shall   be  held   liaitle  to  pert'onu  any  labor  or  dischiirge  any 

4  duties  with  the  army,  or  in  connection  with  tlie  military  defencen 

5  of  the  (Ntimtrj,  such  as  working  upon  fortifications,  })roducing  and 
G  preparing  materials  of  war,  building  and   repairing   loads  and 


2 

7  bridges,  and  doing  other  %rork  usually  done  by  engineer  rroopfc' 

8  and  pontoniers,  actintr  as  cooks,  teamsters,  stewards  and  waiters 

9  m  military  hospitals,  or  other  like  labor,  or  similar  duties  which 

10  may  be  required  or  prescribed  by  the  Secretary  of  War  or  the 

11  or  the  general  commanding  the  Trans-Mississippi  department, 

12  Irom  time  to  time.     And  said  free  negroes,  whilst  thus  engaged, 

13  shall  receive  rations  and  clothing,  under  such  regulations  as  the 

14  Secretary  of  War  may  prescribe,  and  shall  receive  pay  at  the 
16  rate  of  eighteen  dollars  per  month. 

1  Skc.  '2.     That  the  Secretary  of  War  and  the  general  com- 

2  manding  the  Trans-Mississippi  department  are  each  authorized 
'6  to  employ,  for  duties  like  those  named  in  the  first  section  of  this 

4  act,  uo  many  male  negro  slaves,  between  the  ages  of  eighteen 

5  and  forty-five  years,  not  to  exceed  thirty  thousand  in  the  States 
t)  east  of  the  Mississippi  river,  and  ten  thousand  in  the  States  west 

7  of  the  Mississippi  river,  as  the  wants  of  the  service  may  require. 

8  And  the  said  slaves,  whilst  so  employed,  shall  be  furnished  ra* 
i«  tioLB  and  clothing  as  provided  in  the  preceding  section,  and  the 

10  <nviiers  paid  such  liire  for  their  services  us  may  be  agreed  upon  ; 

It  and    in    the   event    of    the  loss   of   any   slaves  whilst  so    em- 

12  ployed,  by  the  act  of  the  enemy  or  by  escape  to  the  enemy,  or  by 

\.o  Wound.-  01'  sleuth  infiicted  b}'  the  enemy,  or  by  disease  contracted 


3 

14  whilst  in  any  scryice  required  of  said  slaves,  and  by  reason  of 

15  said   service,  tlicn  the  owners  thereof,  respectively,  shall  be  enti- 

16  tied  to  receive  the  full  value  of  Buch  slaves,  to  be  ascertained  and 

17  fixed  by  agreement  at  the  time  said  slaves  are  so  hired,  under 

18  rules  to  be  prescribed  by  the  Secretary  of  War. 

1  Sec.  3.    That  whenever  the  Secretary  of  War  or  the  j^eneral 

2  commanding-  the  Trans-Mississippi  dej^artmenl  shall  ])e  unable  to 

8  procu)-o  the  services  of  slaves  by  hiring  them,  as  above  provided, 

4  in  sufficient  numbers,  then  it  shall  be  lawful  for  the  said  Secre- 

5  tary  or  General  to  order  the  impressment,  and  to  impress  as  many 

6  male  slaves,  within  the  ages  named  in  the  second  section  of  this 

7  act,  and  for  the  purposes  and  uses  above  stated,  not  at  any  time 

8  to  exceed  thirty  thousand  in  the  States  east  of  the  Mississippi 

9  river,  and  ten  thousand  in  the  States  wo«t  of  <-ho  Mi8«ip'^ipj>i 

10  river,  as  may  be  necessary :    Provider/^  That  slaves  so  Jnipresst^d 

r 

11  shall,  whilst  in  the  government  employment,  rr(?eive  the  <»arar' 

12  clothing  and  rations  allowed  to  slaves  hired  from  their  o^vno^>, 

13  and  in  the  event  of  their  loss  or  death  in  the  manner  or  from  the 
II  causes  above  stated,  their  value  shall  be  estimated  and  fixed  n^ 
15  provided  by  the  law  regulating  impressments,  and  paid  a«  in 
Ifi  tlie  ease  of  slaves  hir<'d  from  their  r.wners,  and  the  valu<^  of  the 
17  hire  of  said  slaves  shall  be  fixed  in  like  manuor. 


4 

1  Six.  4.     That  the  Secretary  of  War  and  the  general  comman- 

2  dinfr  the  trans-Mississippi  department  shall,  in  ordering  the  iin- 

3  prt-a.sment  of  slaves,  regulate  the  eame,  as  far  as  practicable,  so 

4  that  slaves  shall  be  taken  froir.  each  State  in  proportion  to  the 

5  number  ]iaV»le  to  impressment  therein  under  this  act,  but  not 
fi  morr  than  one  in  every  five  male  slaves,  within  the  said  ages  of 

7  eighteen  and  forty-five  years,  shall  be  taken  from  any  one  owner 

8  if  said  slaves  are  employed  by  said  owner  or  his  lessee  uniformly 
0     in  agriculture  or  in  mechanical  pursuits,  nor,  where  an  owner  lias 

10  but  (*ue  male   slave  within  said    agea,  shall   said   slave    be  im- 

11  pressed,  and  all  impressments  under  this  act  shall,  as  far  as  prac- 
I'j  ticat>le.  be  taken  in  ecpial  ratio  from  all  owners  in  the  same  lo- 
18  cality.  city,  county,  or  district;  but  when  the  slaves  in  any 
14  hioality  <»r  of  any  person  or  per>ons  have  been  or  shall  be 
If.  exeuipted  by  the  laws  or  regulations  of  any  State  from  impress- 
It;  MKMit   ro  lal'or  uu  the   fortifications  or  other  [)ublic  works  of  the 

17  Confederate  States,  then  the  said  slaves  shall  not  be  impressed 

18  f'-r  an V  purpose  whatever  by  the  authorities  of  the  Confederate 
v.*  States :  Provided^  however,  That  nothing  herein  contained  shall 
2'''  he  :io  construed  as  to  exempt  any  State  from   furnishing  its  fair 

21  rpR'ta  of  slaves  for  the  purposes   herein  specified  and  according 

22  to  tli.    provisions  of  this  act:     Provided^  further,  That  in  each 

23  case  care   be  taken  to  allow  each  owner  a  credit  for  all  male 


5 

'J4  slaves  between  the  ages  aforesaid  heretofore  impressed,  or  im- 

25  pressed  under  this  act,  or  hired  to  the  government,  who  are  still 

26  in  service,  or  who  may  have  died  or  been  lost  while  in  service  : 

27  Provided^  further,  That,  if  the  Governor  of  any  State  shall  cer- 

28  tify  to  the  Secretary  of  War  or  the  Commanding  General  of  the 

29  trans-Mississippi  department,  that  slaves  cannot  be  impressed  in 
.oO  any  locality,  county,  district,  parish,  or  city,  in  such  State  M-ith- 

31  out  great  detriment  to  such  locality,  county,  district,  parish  or 

32  city,  thou  the  (j^uota  of  said  locality,  county,  district,  parish  or 

33  city  shall  be  impressed  troiu  other  portions  of  such  State. 

1  Sec  5.     Duplicate   rolls  shall  be  prepared  of  all    the   slaves 

2  hired  or  im]ires8od  under  this  act,  which  shall  contain  a  descrip- 

3  tion  of  the  slaves,  the  names  and  residences  of  the  owners;  and 

4  a  statement  of  the  value  :ind  rate  of  liiro  of  the  slaves  at  the 

5  date  they  are  hired  or  impressed,  one  of  which  rolls  shall,  in  the 
0  States  east  of  the  Mississippi  river,  be  foi-warded  to  the  Secre- 

7  tary  of  War,  and  in  those  west  of  the  Mississippi  river,  to  the 

8  head-quarters  of  the  general  commanding  that  department,  and 

9  the  other  roll  shall  be  sent  to  the  general  commanding  the  army 

10  where  said  slaves  may  be  employed ;  and  the  officer  having  charge 

11  of  said  slaves,  or  of  the  work  upon  which  they  may  be  engaged, 

12  shall  have  a  copy  of  said  roll,  and  shall  regularly  enter  thereon 


a 

13  the  nature  of  the  labor  or  duties  in  which  said  slaves  are  en- 

14  gaged,  and  any  changes  which  may  he  made  therein,  and  of  the 
Iv^  absence,  sickness,  or  death   of  any  of  said   slaves,  and   make 

16  monthly  returns  thereof  to  the  general  commanding  the  army 

17  where  said  slaves  are  employed,  who  shall  transmit  the  same  to 

18  the  Secretary  of  War  or  to  the   Commanding  General  in  the 

19  trans-Mississippi  department,  as  the  case  may  be. 

1  Skc.  6.     That  all  laws  or  parts  of  laws  providing  for  the  hir- 

2  ing  or  impressment  of  slaves  l)e,  and  the  same  are  hereby  re- 
8  pealed,  except  so  far  as  they  may  provide  for  regulating  and 
4  fixing,  in  case  of  impressment,  the  value  of  "said  slaves,  or  the 
0  value  of  their  services. 


KSsjU^wJ"*  . 


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